ABSTRACT
Information is the critical enabler of total quality management (TQM). More and more successful companies agree that information technology and information systems serve as keys to their quality success. Conversely, this component of TQM is frequently the roadblock to improvement in many firms. In these firms, better quality and productivity may not be the issue; rather, the real issue may be better quality of information. Dr. Curt W. Reimann, director of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, suggests that the critical constraint for many companies in applying for the award is the lack of a proper information system for tracking and improving areas in the remaining award categories.1
